A White Monster That Could Take on Other People's Appearances

Deep in the darkness of the stands.

Hidden from view, Shigure watched the noisy Naruto and chuckled, the corner of his mouth curling into a teasing smile.

Of course, it was to farm your emotional points.

But... this felt like about enough.

The emotional points Naruto had provided had started to dwindle over the past two days. It was time to switch things up with Sasuke.

A glimmer of excitement flashed in Shigure's eyes. He licked his lips, hoping he'd get even more "surprises" next...

The show was only just beginning!

Back in the dream.

Sasuke felt the scene before him suddenly change.

He snapped his eyes open and realized he was in a bedroom.

The morning sun streamed through the paper sliding door, illuminating the tatami floor and the simple wooden furniture.

Sasuke froze for a moment, then realized where he was.

This was his bedroom in the Uchiha Clan compound.

"Thank goodness! It's me again today!"

Sasuke clenched his fist and exclaimed in delight. His handsome little face was impossible to hide his excitement.

[ Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Sasuke Uchiha detected! Emotional points +200! ]

But his excitement lasted only a moment before he quickly came to his senses.

Naruto and the others were surely watching his every move on the screen from the stands outside.

His expression changed. He hurriedly forced down his delight and cleared his throat, pretending to be relaxed as he tried to restore his usual cool, indifferent expression.

He had no idea that his grin was harder to suppress than an AK's recoil, and that it had been broadcast in full.

Everyone in the stands had seen his reaction clearly.

"Damn you, Sasuke!"

Watching Sasuke on the big screen first pump his fist with excitement, then immediately put on a cold, indifferent act, Naruto gritted his teeth in anger. "And he said he didn't even want to dream! What a shameless liar! I'm definitely going to give him a piece of my mind tomorrow!"

[ Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Naruto Uzumaki detected! Emotional points +200! ]

Naruto angrily shook his fist, looking as if he'd suffered a great loss.

Sakura and Kakashi could only shake their heads helplessly.

When would those two ever settle down?

On the screen.

Sasuke hadn't noticed that his little act had been seen clearly by everyone.

Once he had composed himself, he pushed open the paper door and left his bedroom.

The familiar corridor outside looked just as it always had. The faint scent of morning dew drifted through the air, and the occasional crisp birdsong from afar lent the clan compound a peaceful charm.

Sasuke hurried to the living room, only to find that his mother, who usually waited there, was absent. Instead, two men came into view.

One of them was someone he loathed, sitting cross-legged beside the low table.

Across from him sat another young man, both unfamiliar and familiar to Sasuke.

His gaze first fell on the black-haired man nearest to him, and a jumble of emotions welled up in his heart.

The man had handsome, refined features, a Leaf Village Forehead Protector tied around his forehead, and a black, high-collared uniform. His entire bearing was composed and cool.

He was his older brother, Itachi Uchiha.

Even though Sasuke was seeing his brother again in a dream, he still instinctively felt a surge of hatred and resentment.

He gave a soft snort and looked away, unwilling to even glance at Itachi.

Then Sasuke turned his attention to the person sitting across from Itachi.

He was a young ninja who looked to be in his early twenties.

His thick black hair was slightly tousled, and his gentle expression held a hint of boldness.

He wore a gray sleeveless combat vest. The protective plates on his chest and shoulders gleamed coldly in the morning light.

The young man noticed Sasuke and turned to give him a slight smile.

Sasuke stared at him for two seconds as memories of the man gradually came back to him.

The next instant, his pupils contracted.

Wasn't that Shisui?

In the stands.

Naruto and Sakura were baffled by the unfamiliar black-haired young man on the screen.

They didn't know Shisui Uchiha, so they couldn't tell that anything about him was unusual.

But when Kakashi saw the young man's clothes and features clearly, his pupils contracted slightly, and his expression turned grave.

A gray combat vest...

That was the standard ANBU uniform.

"Body Flicker Shisui in this world is actually ANBU?" Kakashi muttered.

His gaze shifted back and forth between the two Uchiha on the screen as he pondered.

In this dream world, Shisui was active as an ANBU member?

He wondered which ANBU squad Shisui belonged to.

In the dream.

Sasuke was filled with doubts, but he tried hard to remain calm.

He steadied himself and entered the living room, facing his two older brothers.

"Hmph."

He shot Itachi a cold glance. He still ignored his own brother, treating him as if he weren't even there.

After putting on that arrogant, aloof act, Sasuke walked around Itachi and straight toward Shisui.

Seeing his younger brother behave this way, Itachi furrowed his brow slightly, a trace of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

But in the end, he said nothing and only let out a soft sigh.

When Sasuke reached Shisui, his cold expression melted away at once, replaced by genuine admiration and delight.

His voice brimmed with unrestrained warmth. "Shisui nii-san! Hello!"

His affectionate greeting sounded just as natural and warm as it always had when he was little and saw Shisui.

When Sasuke was young, Shisui had taken good care of him. He had taught him the basics of throwing shuriken and often played with him. In Sasuke's heart, Shisui had been just like an older brother.

Now, after so many years apart, seeing Shisui safe and sound with his own eyes again left Sasuke overwhelmed with emotion.

[ Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Sasuke Uchiha detected! Emotional points +200! ]

Shisui had been speaking quietly with Itachi. Hearing Sasuke greet him so warmly, he couldn't help but freeze.

He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his gaze moving back and forth between Sasuke and Itachi.

Was this really little Sasuke, who used to cling to Itachi all day and idolize his older brother?

Why was he acting so differently now?

Seeing Shisui's surprise, Itachi sighed and rubbed his forehead helplessly. "See? I told you Sasuke has a lot against me now."

Shisui came back to himself and laughed. "Haha, looks like you were right."

He stood up, brushed the wrinkles from his uniform, and turned to Itachi with a serious expression. "All right, Itachi. You don't need to come with me on this investigation for the village. Stay here and spend some time with your younger brother."

With that, Shisui pushed the empty teacup aside, clearly preparing to leave.

He turned to straighten his collar and continued with a smile. "That white monster that can take on other people's appearances hasn't caused any major trouble yet, so the situation isn't too serious. I can investigate on my own. There's no need to worry."

Itachi gave a slight nod and reminded him, "I'll leave it to you, Shisui. Be careful."

"Don't worry." Shisui flashed a hearty smile and waved. "I'll take care of the thing as soon as I can."

Sasuke listened quietly to the conversation between his two older brothers, completely confused.

A white monster?

One that could take on other people's appearances?

It sounded like a troublesome mission...

While Sasuke was still dazed, Shisui had already walked over to him. "Sasuke, listen to your brother and stop being so stubborn, okay?"

Shisui reached out with a caring smile and ruffled Sasuke's hair.

Sasuke turned his head away. "Who wants to listen to him?"

Shisui gave him a surprised smile, then strode toward the door. "Well, I'll be off."

"Goodbye, Shisui nii-san!" Sasuke quickly took a couple of steps after him and bowed formally, watching him leave.

Shisui disappeared around the corner of the courtyard. Sasuke continued staring blankly in the direction he'd gone, glad that Shisui was safe and sound, yet also feeling a pang of loss.

But then he thought about how Shisui had specifically asked Itachi to stay and keep him company. He probably wouldn't be able to get out of it now...

He could only put those thoughts aside and face the older brother in front of him.

Only Sasuke and Itachi remained in the living room. For a moment, the silence between them felt awkward.

Itachi walked over to his younger brother and bent down slightly, his face softening into a gentle smile. "Sasuke, I'm free all day today. I can practice ninjutsu with you."

His voice held a hint of caution and hope. He clearly wanted to use this chance to mend his relationship with his younger brother.

But Sasuke's expression darkened at once.

"Who wants you to keep me company?" He turned away impatiently and muttered, "I don't need it!"

After saying that, Sasuke turned and headed outside, making it clear he wanted nothing to do with him.

Itachi quickly reached out and grabbed his wrist, smiling wryly. "Your brother was wrong last time... But it's been days now. You should be over it by now."

Sasuke stopped but said nothing, only giving a sulky "Hmph."